Automatic and semiautomatic telephone system



June 30, 1931. c. E. J. NILSON ET AL AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1931. c. E. J. NILSON ET AL 1,812,546

AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed Nov 2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 O0 00 0O 00x0 55686568 wane HM C7 f HMS, D -ofien cn June 30, 1931. c. E. J. NILSON ET AL AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM Fi led Nov.

2, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 w ax J 1931- c. E. NILSON ET AL 1,812,546

AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2, 1929 5 Sheets-$heet 4 I1 0010 0 05000000000 00 0o 63 zz zal 1 1 Q If 74 7 June 30, 1931. c. E. J. NILSON ET AL AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIG TELEPHONE SYSTEM Filed Nov. 2, 1929 5 Shets-Sheet 5' Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE cam. Earn JEAN NIL son AN D DAVID LAURENTIUS LIENZEE, or s'rocxnom, SWEDEN, Assmnoias T0 TELEFQN 'AKTIEBOL'AGET n M. ERICSSON, or s'rocxnotm, SWED'EN,

A COMPANY or SWEDEN AUTOMATIC AND SEMIAUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SYSTEM Application filed November 2, 1929, Serial No. 404,325, and in Sweden. November 8, 1928.

The present invention relates to automatic and I semi-automatic telephone systems and has for its object a suitable arrangement of the selectors in relationto the multiple contact fields in an exchange in order to reduce the space occupied by the exchange equipment or to utilize better the available space respectively. The. invention relates more especiall to such selector systems in which the multip e contact. field is composed of parallel wires or the like arranged in rows and in which the selector armsare movable in planes perpendicular to said wires in such a manner that they move at first outside the contact field to select a line group and thereupon into the contact field to select a line in the selected group. The invention is substantially characterized by the fact that the contact field is common to two selector groups disposed on opposite sides of said field in such a. manner that the contact arms of both selector groups may move into the contact field from opposite sides thereof. The two opposite selector groups are then preferably so displaced in relation to each other in the longitudinal direction of the Wires that the plane of motion for each selector in the one group will extend between the planes of motion for two adjacent selectors in the other group and vice versa. The saving of space obtained hereby is based upon the fact that the height of the selector arm is considerably less than the height of the entire selector which will be readily understood byan example.

Selectors of said kind are usually disposed above each other in vertical planes. At an available height of two meters and a selector height of 85 mms. these frames may thus in hitherto used selector arrangements accommodate about sixty selectors. In an arrangement according to the invention in which the contact arms in the one selector group are movable between the contact arms in the opposing selector group the number of selectors which may be accommodated in the frame is dependent upon the height of the contact arm. If said heightamounts to 16 mms. and the necessary clearance between adjacent contact arms is 4 mms. each selector will require a height of 2(16+4) =40 mms. By disposing the selectors on opposite sides of the contact field in the described manner about one hundred. selectors may thus be accommodated within a height of two meters.

Also as regards the utilization of, the floor space the invention brings a considerable savng. If the multiple field, by way of example, is designed for five hundred lines a subscribers lineframe will in systems having call finders accommodate only about thirty call finders, and thirty final selectors or connectors within a height of two meters which is inadequate at a high trafiic frequency. In such cases it has hitherto been necessary to arrange two selector frames for the same subscribers line group, each frame being then, however, not made use of to the full extent. In applying the present invention a single selector, frame may accommodate the total required number of selectors also at very high traffic requirements whereby a corresponding saving in floor space is gained.

In subscribersline frames having call finders and connectors the call finders may be disposed on the one side and the connectors on the opposite side of the frame. Said arrangement has, however, a practical inconvenience which relates to the fact that the call finders and the connectors must have different testing wires which must extend through the entire frame. Said inconvenience is eliminated according to the invention by disposing the call finders and the connectors in two groups disposed above each other the selectors in each group being then disposed on opposite sides of the multiple field. The two selector groups may then without changing the contact field be provided each with a testing wire by cutting off the testing wire extending through the frame at a point between the two selector groups in such a manner that said wire forms two mutually insulated wires.

The invention is illustrated on the accompanying drawings. Figures 1a and 1?) show a horizontal section through a selector frame with selectors arranged according to the invention. Figure 2 is a side elevationofa part of the frame partially in section. Figure is an end view of the lectromag e ic coup ng shown in Figure 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical crosssection of a selector. Figure 5 is a side View of a portion of the contact field. Figure 6 is a cross section of that part of the contact field shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7 is a plan View of the same portion of the contact field. Fig ure 8 shows a partial cross section through a selector. Figure 9 is a plan View of a portion of a selector showing the contact arm and the appertaining contact members. Figure 10 is a section on the line 1010 in Figure 9. Figure 11 shows the circuit diagram of a group selector. o

The selectors are disposed vertically above each other on opposite sides of a vertical frame consisting of two end beams 1, 2 which each one serves as support for two smaller beams 3, 4 and 5, 6 respectively. The beams 1 and 2 are united with each other by means of horizontal bars 7, 8 which serve to support the multiple contact field as shown more plainly in Figure 5. A plurality of such bars are disposed'above each other on each side of the bank. The contact field is composed in a manner known per se of parallel bare wires which extend in vertical direction through the entire selector frame. Each group of three wires 9, 10, 11 represents one line, 9 and 10 being the two talking line branches and 11 the testing wire. The wires are arranged in a number of mutually parallel rows or bundles representing different numerical groups of lines. Figures 4, 5 and 6 show such a row of wires. The wires appertaining to each Wire row extend through holes in insulating plates 12 spaced apart at suitable distances which plates in turn are secured to horizontal rods 13, 14. The rods 13 disposed opposite the bars 7, 8 are secured to said bars whereas the other rods 14 are secured to vertical metal bars 15, 16 which in turn are secured to the rods 13. In selector frames having call finders these vertical bars also serveto' mark electrically the corresponding line groups in which calls occur.

The selectors are supported by vertically disposed bars 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Said bars are for said purpose provided with slots in the edge in which the side edges of the bottom plates 23 of the selectors may be inserted. Figure 2 shows the arrangement of such slots 24 in the bars 21 and 18 respectively.

Each selector is provided with a contact arm 25 preferably made of insulating mate rial which arm is displaceably guided betweenjtwo pairs of pulleys 26, 27 which are disposed on a support 28 in the shape of a carriage or the like which by means of wheels 29, 30 runs on the bent up edges of the bottom plate 23. To ensure an exact parallel displacement of the contact arm said wheels are adapted to be in tooth engagement with the edges of the bottom plate.

7 The displacement of the carriage and the contact arm in lateral direction along the front side of the contact field is brought about by means of a worm shaft 31 which engages a sliding nut member 32 rigidly connected to the carriage 28. After the contact arm has been set opposite the wanted wire row by turning said worm shaft the contact arm is inserted in said wire row between the wires 9, 10 on the one side and the wires 11 on the opposite side. Said motion is brought about by means of a shaft 33 parallel with the worm shaft 31, which former shaft is provided with teeth extending substantially along the entire length of the shaft and which are in permanent engagement with the rack 34 connected to the contact arm. The worm shaft 31 and the toothed shaft 33 are iournailed in two bearings 35, 36 and at the one shaft to the one or the other. of two toothed wheels 45, 46 rigidly disposed on a main driving shaft 44. The intermediate shaft 41 is for this purpose provided with a toothed wheel 47 which normally takes up an inoperative position half-way between the toothed wheels 45, 46. The shifting of the intermediate shaft in the one or the other direction to connect it to the driving shaft 44 is brought about by means of two magnets 48, 49 which are adapted to attract an electro-magnet armature 50 rigidly connected to the shaft in two different directions as said armature 50 is provided with two arms 51, 52 the one of which is disposed above and the other beneath the corresponding magnet pole in such a manner that the armature may beactuated in different directions as is seen by Figure 3. Owing to the disposition of the toothed wheel 42 close to the swinging shaft 43 the connection of the intermediate shaft to the main driving shaft may take place without any considerable change in the position of the toothed wheel 42 in relation to thetoothed wheels 37 and 38.

The incoming line to the selector is connected to three contact bars disposed on insulating supports 53, 54 in the bottom plate ofthe selector. Said bars communicate electrically through contactsprings 58, 59 and 60 disposed on the bottom side of the carriage 28 with contact springs 61, 62, 63 disposed on the upper side of the carriage which latter contact springs in turn may contact with contact bars 64, 65, 66 disposed laterally of the contact arm. The latter bars are connected to the contact springs 67, 68, 69 which are adapt ed to make contact with the wires in the con tact field.

The selectors are intended to be set under the control of registers and are for said purpose provided with impulse senders for sending impulses to the registers. Said impulse senders are not shown on the drawings. To control the motion of the selector there are arranged contacts which are actuated in the end positions of the contact arm in each direction of motion. Figure 1 shows two contact groups 70, 71 arranged for said purpose the former of which is adapted to be actuated by the displacement of the contact arm in lateral direction, whereas the other 71 is adapted to be actuated by the displacement of the contact arm in its longitudinal direction. The contact group is actuated by means of a rod 7 2 which in its motion is guided by two links 73, 74 which at the same time serve as abutment co-operating with the carriage 28 to shift the rod 72 in the two end positions of the carriage. The contact groups 71 are adapted to be actuated by means of a cam disk 7 5 which is rigidly united with a conical toothed wheel 76 which engages a conical toothed wheel 77 on the toothed shaft 33. The cam disk is disposed in such a manner that the contact group 71 is actuated, when the contact arm moves out of the normal position shown on the drawings in relation to the carriage, and is restored to its normal condition when the contact arm is restored to its normal position.

To protect the end of the contact arm projecting in front of the selector there is provided a bar 78 secured to the bottom plate 23 which bar on the outside may be provided with designations to indicate the position of the contact arm for the time being. For a similar purpose the carriage 28 is provided with a bar 79 extending parallelly with the rod which bar is provided with divisions and numeral designations to indicate the position of the contact arm in the wire row.

The two selector groups disposed on opposite sides of the contact field are displaced in relation to each other in vertical direction in such a. manner that the contact. arm in the one selector group is movable between the contact arms in the opposite selector group. In the example shown in Figure 1 the contact arms take up their normal position the left hand selector being then started to the left whereas the right hand selector is started to the right. To obtain uniformity in the electric connections the two vertical driving shafts 44 may then be adapted to rotate in opposite directions. The arrangement may, however, of course also be such that the selectors on opposite sides are started in the same direction i. e. either to the left or to the right in which case the selectors may be made completely identical so that they may be mounted on any side of the contact field.

The operation will be described with reference to Figure 11 where as far as possible the register whereof only the electromagnet winding of an impulse receiver 82 and an impulse relay 83 are shown.

WVhen extending the connection to the junction line 84, 85 initially a circuit is closed over the third wire 86 including a restoring electromagnet 88 which is then energized and connected into a holding circuit. At the same time a circuit is closed over the line branch 84 through a. relay 89 which also connects itself into the holding circuit. The relays 88 and 89 close a circuit 90 through the clutch magnet 81 whereby the sequence switch is brought to its second position. In said position a circuit 91 is closed through the clutch magnet 39 which is energized and connects the worm shaft to the intermediate shaft 41 (Figures 1a and 1b). The magnet 39 closes besides a circuit 92 through the clutch magnet 48 whereby the intermediate shaft is connected to the main driving shaft. a. consequence, the contact arm is now set in lateral direction to select the desired line group. Impulses are then sent from the impulse sender 93'over the circuit 94 which impulses actuate the relay 83 which in turn controls the circuit of the impulse receiver 82. The latter is thus set simultaneously with the selector. WVhen it reaches a previously marked position the circuit is: opened through the relay 89 which is de-energized and thereby opens a circuit 90 of the clutch magnet 39 which in turn opens the circuit of the clutch magnet 48 so that the selector is brought to stop. hen the relay 89 is deenergized a new circuit is also closed through the clutch magnet 81 of the sequence switch whereby the sequence switch is brought forward to its third position. In this position a circuit 95 is now closedthrough the clutch magnet 40 whereby the toothed shaft 33 is connected to the intermediate shaft 41 (Figures 1a and 1b). The magnet 40 closes in turn the circuit of the clutch magnet 48 which connects the intermediate shaft to the main shaft. The contact arm is thereby displaced in its longitudinal direction. Said displacement continues until the contact arm reaches a free junction line a circuit 96 being then closed through the relay 97. Said relay interrupts the circuit 95 of the magnet 40 whereby the selector is brought to stop. The relay 97 connects itself into a holding circuit and closes at the same time a circuit through the clutch magnet 81 whereby the sequence switch is brought to the fourth position which is the speaking position.

At the end of the conversation the selector is restored by the de-energization of the relay 88. The clutch magnet 81 receives then a current impulse over the contact 98 of the relay 88 whereby the sequence switch is brought to its fifth position. In said position the clutch magnet is again energized over the circuit 99 the clutch magnet 49 being i I then connected into the circuit 100. Thereby the contact arm is'restored in its longitudinal direction. When the contact arm reaches its normal position in relation to the carriage the circuit 99 is interrupted at the contact 101 actuated by the cam disk whereby the longitudinal displacement ceases. Then a circuit 102 is closed through the clutch mag net 39 which in turn closes a circuit for the clutch magnet 49 whereby the carriage is restored to normal position. In the normal position the contact 103 actuated by the rod 7 2 is opened the motion of the selector then stopping. At the same time a circuit 104 is closed through the clutch magnet of the sequence switch whereby the sequence switch is restored to normal position.

We claim 1. An arrangement in automatic and semiautomatic telephone exchanges provided with selectors of the kind in which the multiple contact field iscomposed of wires or the like disposed in parallel rows and the selector arms are displaceable in planes perpendicular to said wires in such a manner that they may be moved at first outside the contact field'to select a line group and thereupon into the contact field to select a particular line in the group, characterized by that the contact field is common to two groups of selectors disposed on opposite sides of said field and characterized in that the opposing selector groups are displaced in relation to each other in the longitudinal direction of the wires so that the plane of motion of each selector in the one group extends between the planes of motion of two adjacent selectors in the other group and vice versa.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the opposing selector groups are displaced in relation to each other in the longitudinal direction of the wires so that the plane of motion of each selector in the one group extends between the planes of motion of two adjacent selectors in the other group and vice versa.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1 having a multiple field common to call finders and connectors, characterized in that the call finders and the connectors form two mutually separated selector groups the selectors in each group being disposed on opposite sides of the contact field and the opposing selectors being displaced in relation to each other in the longitudinal direction of the wires so that the plane of motion of each selector inthe one group extends between the planes of mo tion of two adjacent selectors in the other group and vice versa.

4. A selector the arm of which is adjustable in two mutually perpendicular directions and upon setting in the one direction moves in its longitudinal direction, characterized in that the selector arm is adapted tobe driven from two mutually parallel shafts perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the selector arm the one of which shafts is designed as a worm shaft adapted to engage by its threads a carriage or sledge supporting theselector arm whereas the other shaft is adapted to be in tooth engagement with a rack connected to the selector arm.

5. A selector as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the two shafts are adapted to be connected alternately to an intermediate shaft by means of electromagnetic couplings which latter shaft is swingable about an axis extending perpendicularly to the shafts and-adapted to be connected to a main driving shaft by swinging about said axis.

6. A selector as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the shaft co-operating with the rack on the contact arm is provided with teeth extending substantially over the entire length of the shaft in such a manner that the rack always engages'said shaft by its teeth upon setting the contact arm by means of the worm shaf In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

CARL ERIK JEAN *NILSON. DAVID LAURENTIUS LIENZEN. 

